Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A Beautiful Reservoir

Speaking at the grand opening of the new reservoir last Friday, lead engineer Eric Franson explained about his penchant for finding beauty. He runs cross-country races, he said, and every so often he has to stop and say, "Wow. That is beautiful." His fellow runners usually scratch their heads, seeing no beauty. So he points out a dam or a reservoir and says, "That makes me happy."

Completion of this reservoir was an event of symbolic significance, marking the construction of an entire utility including 100 miles of pipeline, 13 million gallons of storage in two reservoirs, and three filter stations -- construction which, when it is completed in the spring of 2010, will have taken place in just two years.

Thanks are due to the many who worked to make this possible, including the City staff, the American Fork Irrigation Company, the shareholders, two engineering firms, the contractors, and the American Fork voters.

So many of these voters have now become the rate payers who are feeling the pain of sacrifice necessary to bring this about. "We knew there would be an increase," they say. "We just didn't know it would be this big." Or, to put that in the words of a merchant I spoke with, immoral. A three hundred percent increase is just plain immoral, he said. But then he conceded that not supplying water would be equally immoral.

The reservoir is standing evidence of what Mr. Franson said was "the City's thought for its long-term future, for residents to come, and for our children and grandchildren who will benefit."

"That's a decision that needs to be applauded," he said, "and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."